Indian National Award-winning actor Geetanjali Thapa, from the North East Indian state of Sikkim, says she has faced discrimination in the country due to they way she looks.
“I have been told I can’t do this as I don’t look Indian enough. People say ‘she is a good actor but she doesn’t [look] Indian’. I used to feel sad about it, but now I have developed a thick skin,” Thapa said.
“I laugh it off, it doesn’t affect me at all. I am here and doing good work. There are filmmakers, who are willing to cast me and that is great,” she added.
Sikkim’s best known face in Bollywood is veteran actor Danny Denzongpa and Thapa is sharing the screen with him in Bioscopewala.
Thapa says the perception towards North East Indians is changing slowly.
“There are certain filmmakers who are willing to change the history or ethnicity or back story of a character to fit me and that is great. Why should I always play a girl from North East? Maybe, I can play an Indian girl, who is studying in Diu or Mumbai or from Bangalore. I think all this will change but it will take time. I think we have to move forward. Slowly but surely things are changing,” she said.
Bioscopewala is a modern-day adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s 1892 short story Kabuliwala.
“I remember reading about Kabuliwala during my school days. I had seen the Hindi version, which had Balraj Sahini in it. I had not seen the Bengali version. I watched it sometime ago. I had auditioned for the role and that’s how I got it,” she said.
Besides Denzongpa and Thapa, the film also boasts of performers such as Adil Hussain and Tisca Chopra.
“They were all very warm and helpful. They did not intimidate me, they were very accommodating. They are a brilliant bunch of actors, they pushed me to make my craft better,” the actress said. “It was like a masterclass. I am grateful for this masterclass. It has made me better as an actor, I learnt a lot from actors, technicians, crew, etc. It was an enriching experience.”
Thapa, who has been part of films such as Monsoon Shootout, Liar’s Dice and Trapped, said it is not easy to get the roles she wants to do.
“I do get good scripts but at the same time it is not easy. I am happy and content with my work. I go for good scripts. It can be full length, a short film, a web series or a regional film. The role has to excite me, be it in the commercial space or indie,” she said.
The actress added: “It has turned out that I like doing only certain kind of films, but it is not a conscious decision. It has worked out that way. I am a greedy actor, I want to do it all.”
Films with songs and dancing are also on her wish list.
“I watch those films and I find them entertaining. Song and dance doesn’t mean it is frizzle. There have been films that have good content as well. If given an opportunity, I wouldn’t mind trying song and dance films, it may be a stress buster,” she said.
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Bioscopewala releases in the UAE on May 24.
